Cruelty-free makeup brands you need to put on your beauty radar

Living clean and green ain’t just about eating organic produce and dining at healthy cafes. It’s also about the skincare in your beauty stash – if you’re increasingly conscious of how the products you use make an impact, we need to talk about vegan and cruelty-free cosmetics. For starters, cruelty-free simply means that the product is no way tested on animals, while vegan means that it’s cleared of animal-based ingredients. The two don’t always go hand-in-hand, so it doesn’t hurt to check the label (look out for the cruelty-free bunny!).

Whether you’re a hardcore vegan or a beauty junkie looking to enhance your makeup routine with naturally sourced ingredients, we’re here to help you navigate the world of vegan, cruelty-free makeup, starting with some of our go-to brands…

For when you’re feeling extra: Faux Fayc

Cruelty-free

Beauty and salons

No more nasties: Organic beauty brands

Talk about a recipe for sultry, sexy eyes. The first thing you’ll notice at Faux Fayc? All. that. Colour. Remember when Faux Fayc made waves with its Fauxlash Mascara Duo? The brand has since extended its range with bold, bright and highly-pigmented shades for those days when you’re just feeling it. Case in point: The Faux Fayc x Bycaxs eyeshadow palette that comes with matte, shimmer and metallic finishes and iridescent shades in the holographic liquid lip trio set.
Faux Fayc, available online

For a brand that’s reached cult status in the cruelty-free scene: The Body Shop

Cruelty-free and vegetarian

It’s safe to say that The Body Shop is one of the first beauty brands most women ever used. The Body Shop has always been synonymous with the cruelty-free tag, putting its foot down on animal testing. Aside from formulating a stellar makeup range that’s free from parabens, petrolatum, mineral oil and gluten, all ingredients (beeswax, argan, acai, rosehip oil, just to name a few) are Fair Trade, sourced from small-scale farmers and traditional artisans. The all-in-one BB cream, bronzer (the one with the shimmer beads) and mattifying foundation are makeup must-haves.
The Body Shop, various locations islandwide

For budge-free makeup that stays put: Smashbox Cosmetics

Cruelty-free; selected vegan products

A recent brand to enter the cruelty-free list, Smashbox is all about long-lasting makeup that stays put – yes, perfect for hot and humid Singapore. No surprises why its stellar range of photo-finish primers is such a big hit. And if you harbour aspiration of looking like a bronze goddess, this metallic matte lipstick is right on the money.
Smashbox Cosmetics, available at Sephora

For a fuss-free makeup routine: Rollover Reaction

Cruelty-free

Do you see those makeup tutorials and sometimes say, “ain’t nobody got time for that?” This makeup brand’s right up your alley. Made for ladies on the run, a little goes a long way with these bold, highly-pigmented and matte, lip and cheek creams. Plus, they’re paraben-free and come in a variety of shades for every mood. Pout it like it’s hot.
Rollover Reaction, available at Naiise

For seamless and streak-free application: 13rushes

Cruelty-free

Sometimes, makeup is only as good as its tools and half the job is done when you have the right makeup brushes in your pile. 13rushes produces synthetic brushes that are meticulously crafted by 26 craftsmen and undergoes 12 production stages. What’s more, these gems are sustainable and animal-friendly. The clinch? The brushes have a good grip and soft bristles that offer supple coverage and perform brilliantly with powder, cream and liquid makeup.
13rushes, available at Tangs Vivocity and online

An affordable alternative: Nyx

Cruelty-free; selected vegan products

On a budget? Say no more. This affordable drugstore beauty brand offers pigmented products in natural and vibrant shades. Winning must-haves include lippies such as the Soft Matte Lip Creams (it comes in a whopping 46 shades, as well as 12 metallic hues) and the nude-loving Lip Lingerie. Its vegan HD Studio Photogenic concealers are a good bang for your buck. Nyx is also ace for makeup rookies — the Professional Makeup Love Contours All Palette has nine eyeshadows, two highlighters, two contouring shades and two brow powders.
Nyx, available at Sephora stores islandwide and standalone stores including Bugis Junction (#01-111) and Plaza Singapura (#B1-36)

For serving edgy looks: Urban Decay

Cruelty-free

This bold and edgy beauty brand prides itself on staying cruelty-free. Expect an endless selection of high-performance beauty products, ranging from super-pigmented and buttery eyeshadows including the Naked palettes to creamy, kissable lip products such as the Vice Liquid Lipsticks that come in matte and metallic finishes — perfect for all-day wear!
Urban Decay, available at Sephora stores islandwide

For gorgeous packaging: Tarte

Cruelty-free and vegan

A hot fave amongst makeup gurus, tarte touts itself as a leader in eco-chic beauty: its products are infused with superfruit and plant extracts, vitamins, and are free of parabens or synthetic fragrances. But what do we love most about tarte? Its pretty packaging with vibrant colours and gorgeous prints that’s made from sustainable and recyclable materials. In Bloom palette aside, have you seen its mermaid collection?
Tarte, available online and at Sephora stores islandwide

For power tools sans the guilt: Ecotools

Cruelty-free and vegan

Due to its availability in drugstores, Ecotools makes a great starter kit for any makeup newbies. But don’t dismiss it just yet. 100% cruelty-free and vegan, these synthetic brushes are made from recycled plastic and aluminium, and feature handles made from bamboo. Makeup brushes aside, Ecotools also stocks powerful hair brushes with an EcoVent design that dries hair quicker and more efficiently as compared to commercial brushes.
Ecotools, available at Watson’s or buy online

For contours that slay: Kat Von D

Cruelty-free and vegan

Known for its high-pigmentation, long-wear and eye-popping shades, Kat Von D’s eponymous cosmetic brand embodies her signature style of Old Hollywood glamour fused with rock ‘n’ roll — expect black, goth-like packaging with colours befitting of Monroe-esque bombshells. Staying true to her tattoo artistry, her makeup range, including my go-to Shade + Light contour palette, is inspired by years of tattooing portraits and understanding the interplay between shadow and light. New to the brand is its eyebrow collection: 24-hour longwear eyebrow pomades, quality synthetic brow brushes, dimension powder to mimic the sheen of real hair as well as precision pencils to resemble the effects of microblading.
Kat Von D Beauty, available at Sephora stores islandwide

For inclusive shade ranges: Fenty Beauty

Cruelty-free and mostly vegan

RiRi’s hyped up beauty brand is the real deal. Fenty Beauty’s shade ranges are one of the widest around (we’re talking 40 from fair to deep for its liquid foundation, and 20 shades for its custom concealer). Cruelty-free, most of its products are vegan, although some do contain ingredients of animal origin, like beeswax.
Fenty Beauty, available at Sephora ION Orchard

For (cool) luxury makeup: Hourglass Cosmetics

Cruelty-free and mostly vegan

Despite the price tag and rabid following,  luxury makeup brands aren’t always clued in on new trends or technologies that give younger and hipper cult cosmetic brands an edge. Founder of Hourglass Cosmetics Carissa James identified this void early on in 2004, and has since filled it with breakthrough formulas, innovative ingredients and cool packaging. Entirely cruelty-free, the brand is striving towards being 100% vegan by 2020. For now, it has a vegan tab in its website for you to easily bag products without animal-derived ingredients, like its cult Voyeur Waterproof Liquid Liner.
Hourglass Cosmetics, available at Sephora

For full coverage: Cover FX

Cruelty-free and vegan

When it comes to true full coverage, look no further than Cover FX. The vegan brand’s high-performing formulas and diverse range of foundation (40 shades and 3 undertones, to be exact!) are suitable for those with sensitive skin, acne, rosacea, or other skin conditions. Its cream concealer is also fab for concealing under-eyes and blemishes, and made without parabens, sulphates and talc — win!
Cover FX, available at Sephora stores islandwide

For bold eye colours: 3ina

Cruelty-free

We’re all about inclusive makeup, and European brand 3ina (pronounced mee-nah) is no stranger. We’re big fans of this cruelty and paraben-free collection for its range of bold and vibrant colours, especially its cream eyeshadows, pencil eyeshadow, eyeshadow paint and colour mascara. Its lush, guilt-free products are also packaged sustainably with recyclable materials.
3INA, available at ION Orchard Linkway (#B2-67) and Tampines Mall (#01-27)

For au naturale makeup: Too Faced

Cruelty-free

Prefer natural-looking makeup with a slight edge? Too Faced’s the one for you! Its cruelty-free products come in range of colours that focus on neutral shades. Oh, and did we mention its adorable packaging? You won’t find a beauty junkie without its iconic Chocolate Bar eye palette (we can’t get enough of its divine chocolatey scent), its Primed & Poreless pressed powder which is great for oily skin, and the Better Than Sex mascara that women can’t stop raving about!
Too Faced, available at Sephora stores islandwide

For high-performance foundations: Alima Pure

Cruelty-free and vegan

Cruelty-free and crafted from the purest, natural ingredients for maximum impact, Alima Pure’s diverse range of foundation shades are far from dull. Its luxe, high-performance products are created to enhance your best features, and are absolutely fab for an all-day wear!
Alima Pure, available at Sephora stores islandwide

Like this story? Check these out:
Say goodbye to nasties with these organic skincare brands
The ultimate waterproof makeup guide
Singapore-proof beauty hacks you need to know
Skincare gets fresh and funky with these super ingredients

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